Pizza Joint Owners Being Extorted for Bitcoin Don't Know What Bitcoin Is

Everyone loves pizza. Even e-criminals. A group of anonymous extortionists have targeted small, local pizza joints, threatening to post bad reviews on Yelp, file Better Business Bureau complaints, and even report fake violent crimes and drug activity on the premises. But they have given the pizza owners a chance to avoid this fate. The pizza owners have to hand over exactly one Bitcoin.

The local pizza joint owner posted the picture on the company's Facebook, captioning it: "This is a new one on me, you guys. Ps. What the heck is a BitCoin??" GRPD Pizza and Delivery in Michigan received the same letter, as did Pizza Pirates in California. One Bitcoin is about $600, but if they don't pay by August 15, the amount goes up to 3 Bitcoin.

These criminals might be creative, but they may not have thought this one through. The letters were sent through the U.S. Postal Service, and it looks like they went out to pizza places all around the country. This means they can be charged with federal crimes and government can use their resources to track the extortionists through the USPS system.

News reports are focusing on the Germanwings pilot's possible depression, following a familiar script in the wake of mass killings. But the evidence shows violence is extremely rare among the mentally ill.